Miranda Strauss
A spec ops soldier on her home planet of Endeavour, Miranda pioneered the THORN program, and has found a great deal of success in high risk solo operations. Notorious for her stealth tactics and precision shooting, she has been involved in many key missions, including the assassination of prominent FMP member Vyacheslav Shevchenko, and her infiltration of Camp Iota. Early Life Born to Thomas and Emily Strauss, Miranda lived a fairly quiet life on her family's farm. From a young age, she was inspired by tales of her father's service, painting her father as a hero in her mind, and filling her head with dreams of some day joining the Militia. Once her father knew of this, however, he insisted that Emily stop telling these stories, and told Miranda about awful things that he had to do during the war. In denial of these stories, little could be done to sway the young Miranda. As she grew up, she grew bored of farm life, and began to seek adventure in the woods beyond their property. In doing so, she attracted some unwanted attention. A pack of wolves followed her home one night, attacking the livestock. Trying to fend them off, Miranda grabbed a rifle from the shed in an attempt to scare the wolves away, and unwittingly killed one of the animals. Frustrated, and knowing that she would undoubtedly try it again if given the opportunity, he instead taught her how to shoot. Daily practice sessions quickly became a regular part of Miranda's routine, during which she honed her skills and became proficient in rifle shooting. After the attack by The Reclaimed on the Endeavour city of Halcyon, Miranda was inspired to join the Militia, a decision that her father strongly disapproved of, but ultimately didn't oppose. Instead, he handed off his old service rifle to her, a good luck charm from his time in the military. With approval from the Militia, Miranda was able to complete her marksman training with the rifle, completing her training and being promoted to Private-2. Early Military Service Already a competent rifleman, Miranda qualified for Marksman training almost immediately after graduating to the rank of Private-2. This skill drew the attention of 2Lt James Anderson, who personally requested that Miranda immediately be assigned to his squad, Mischief, as their Designated Marksman. One of the first missions she was assigned to was the search for four members of Bloodhound, who had disappeared after a routine patrol mission. It was here that Miranda first fought the Reclaimed, seeing firsthand how dangerous they were as they killed the squad's gunner, Cpl Emilia Clarkson, and one of their riflemen, PFC Ji-min Song. After the failed mission, the squad recovered as they found replacements for their lost soldiers. While Miranda and Mischief undertook several dangerous operations, it would be their last mission that would go down in history. Sent to sabotage an enemy supply cache in Endeavour's Noxious Wastes, faulty Intel supplied by a Reclaimed sympathizer lured the squad into a trap, and quickly the mission became a fight for survival. One by one, members of Mischief were picked off, until only Miranda was left. Holing up in an abandoned base from the First Colonial War, she awaited EVAC for several hours, holding off an entire platoon of troops from the fortified structure, before eventually escaping as the sole survivor of the botched operation. THORN Program Upon returning from her mission, Miranda was awarded the Endeavour Militia's Cross of Military Valor, and promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant. Though many high-ranking EMC officials argued against the abrupt promotion, many insisted that such a significant affair would reinvigorate morale. Whether for better or for worse, this made Miranda a recognizable figure, and a source of inspiration for many in the Militia. Due to her feats and reputation, Miranda was selected for special operations training. As usual, her marksmanship was of the highest class, though her CQB and heavy weapons skills were lacking, leaving her at the bottom of the pack. While high profile branches took the highest ranking candidates, the fledgling THORN program was left in a difficult situation. Having to take the proverbial "bottom of the barrel," THORN immediately began a series of ruthless training regiments to get the candidates up to snuff. Targeting their weaknesses, the program shaped the candidates into versatile operatives, who could operate behind enemy lines, alone or in teams. Of course, none of this would be known for sure until the operatives proved their worth. The weight of THORN's first mission fell onto Miranda's shoulders. Her objective to assassinate an anarchist leader by the name of Vyacheslav Shevchenko, crippling the anarchist movement that would threaten to destabilize Endeavour and make their defense against the Reclaimed far less effective. Though the mission was a technical success, the attempt left her severely wounded